Devices used to administer a fluid inside the anatomy of a patient are well known. For example, hypodermic needles, catheters, and the like are often used to deliver medication and other fluids to targeted sites within the body. In many instances, catheters are preferred because they can deliver fluid to a particular site over a period of time. Since catheters are generally made of a flexible plastic material, a needle is typically used to insert the catheter within a patient. For example, certain catheters, generally referred to as “through-the-needle” catheters, often require stiff, hollow introducer needles for placement within the anatomy. Thus, the catheter can be inserted through the needle after the needle is located at the targeted site. Typically, such introducer needles have sharp tips that may damage tissue and/or nerves during their delivery into a body, thus causing discomfort for the patient.
Another type of catheters, generally referred to as “over-the-needle” (OTN) catheters, include a catheter coaxially mounted onto a needle. In this type of catheter, the catheter and the needle may be inserted into a patient together. Once the catheter and the needle are located at the targeted site, the needle can be removed, leaving the catheter in place. Thus, OTN catheters can be purposely directed to an exact location without the need to thread the catheter within a patient. Accordingly, OTN catheters have gained increased attention in regard to delivering anesthetic medication, for example, for the purposes of nerve block.
It is desired to design OTN catheters with thin walls so as to decrease discomfort to the patient and to minimize leakage at the insertion site of the catheter. Such thin walls, however, can increase the catheter's susceptibility to kinking or collapsing when being inserted within a patient.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a sleeve for an OTN catheter that addresses the aforementioned problems.